For All The Nevers
by PersnicKty2018
Summary: Percy Jackson caught in all the times life has shown him to never say never. (Inspired by the State Farm commercial. No, I'm not joking.) AU.


**This isn't the oneshot I was originally working on, but I saw that dam commercial for like, the eighth time earlier last night and thought, huh, wouldn't it be cute if this was a oneshot about Percabeth…? *-***

* * *

 _ **For All The 'Never's**_

* * *

 ** **1.**** _I'm never falling in love._

* * *

Percy Jackson is seven years old and his mother finally divorces that awful man, Smelly Gabe. It makes him happy; he never liked him that much anyway. He always stole their money and never treated his mother the way she deserves. He's asked about his own real father, but he never gets a response, and he's of an age now where he no longer believes him to be the King of his world. He has come to the realization that his mother is the Queen, and she rules perfectly fine on her own.

"Where is Smelly Gabe going to go?" he asks when his mother slams the door behind his fat, lazy butt. A few stray hairs frame her red face as she huffs. She's fuming, he can tell, but she never outwardly shows it. She's never gotten mad at either of them for anything, even if there were times when they deserved it (Gabe more so than Percy, he likes to think). But she softens when she sees her seven-year-old son, looking up at her with his black hair resembling a bird's nest more than a little boy's and his wide, sea green eyes that reflect his father's.

"I don't know," she admits, picking him up in her arms. He squirms in protest because boys don't like their mothers hugging them, but he doesn't actually mind and she knows it. "And I don't care. It's just you and me, okay?"

"Okay," he nods.

Sally Jackson takes a deep, shaky breath before she breaks down crying. Percy feels like crying himself, because he's the child and she's the adult, she shouldn't be crying. He stops struggling and hugs her, feeling bad. "I'm sorry, mommy, I don't mind you hugging me."

She lets out a laugh mid-sob, nuzzling her nose into the crook of his small little neck. "No, sweetie, that's not why I'm crying."

"Are you sad Gabe's gone?" he hopes that isn't it, but if it is, what if it's his fault he's gone, taking his mother's happiness with him? "Did you love him?"

"No. I love you, so much more than I ever did him. And I'm not so sure I really did in the first place," she says, kissing his forehead. He's really too young to know about love, but she's not one to shield him from life's problems because she, herself, had been so unprepared when she had been a child facing them all completely and utterly unprepared. She doesn't want that for her son.

"Then why did you marry him?" he asks innocently.

"I don't know," she sighs. "But it wasn't your fault, okay? We're gonna have the happiest time of our lives together, just us, okay, kiddo?"

He nods again, fiercely this time. "Did you love Daddy?" he has to know.

Sally freezes for a moment. "Yes," she eventually says. "I did. Very much."

"Is Daddy dead?"

"I don't think so."

"Is he ever coming back?"

"No, sweetie."

"So he left us?"

"Yes."

"... Did he love you?"

Sally nods, unable to speak any more.

Percy's little face screws up like he's eaten one of those sour candies his mom brings home every now and then from the candy store. "I don't want to love anybody, if that's what'll happen."

"Don't say that," his mother scolds lightly, her eyes watering but no longer crying. Now, she's smiling. "I want you to fall in love and be happy, even if it doesn't last as long as I might want."

"No, I'm never falling in love," he states firmly, pouting with that adorable sour face that makes his mom laugh. He doesn't understand why but she's not crying anymore, so it must be something good.

"Well, you believe that for now, okay Percy?" she kisses his nose gently and sets him down, reaching for his little hand. "Let's go make some cookies."

Percy obediently trails behind his mom as she walks into the kitchen. He's not actually allowed to help her with the procedure, not after the last fiasco, but he likes to watch with hungry eyes, a vulture waiting to swoop down and snatch up its prize. His bold vow is no longer in his mind with cookies occupying its slot, but it does not go unforgotten.

* * *

He meets the grey eyes of a blonde haired girl during his mother's wedding five years later, and his heart gives a little flutter.

* * *

 **2.** _I'm never going to college._

* * *

"Annabeth, I'm going to pass out," Percy says, staring up at his best friend who is currently pacing his room and unsuccessfully attempting to get him to study for finals.

"You're not going to pass out, but you're going to be screwed if you don't memorize these formulas," she swats his hand away when he attempts to drag her onto the bed beside him. They're sixteen now, both juniors in high school. He's still not exactly sure why she became his friend in the first place, she's so out of his league in all aspects. Not that- er, that is, well, he meant just people in general, not in the romantic way- but, you know, not that he wouldn't _mind_ \- okay, forget it.

They had first met when Sally had married Paul four years ago. Paul was an English teacher and complimented Sally's status of an author nicely. Percy liked him well enough, much better than Smelly Gabe, and he had been able to pull some strings to get Percy into the school he worked at (which also happened to be where Annabeth had been enrolled at), which was a miracle as Percy had already been kicked out of seven schools. Anyways, the wedding was where he and Annabeth had first become friends. She had been staying with Chiron, a friend of his mother's, after she had run away from her home (Percy learned this information later, much to Annabeth's embarrassment). She, too, had been a bit of a troublemaker in her past life, but now she's a total nerd. A really cute one, though... He shakes his head, clearing his head of those thoughts. It doesn't exactly help his romantic frustration to think about said romantic frustration in the presence of the object of his affection. Plus, with his luck, Annabeth can probably, like, read minds or something, and he's only been embarrassing himself for the past how-many years.

"I hate studying. I hate learning. Actually, scratch that, I hate school in general. There's no way I'm going to put myself through another four-plus years when I finally get out of prison after thirteen," he rolls over, groaning.

Annabeth rolls her eyes, taking the pencil tucked behind her ear and scribbling something down in a notebook. She had become awfully pretty throughout the years, and Percy wonders if she had somehow morphed into the California girl she is now overnight or if she had always been this beautiful and he had never noticed. He definitely notices now. Perhaps, he's always had a bit of a crush on her, but he's only ever been her best friend and for that he should really kick himself for being such a-

"-Seaweed Brain," Annabeth snaps. "Are you even listening?"

"Hmm?" he says, tearing his eyes away from her to look at... well, her. He clears his throat and shakes his head.

"What kind of job will you get if you don't go to school?" she asks, smirking as if to say 'I know more than you', which, let's face it, she probably does.

He snorts. "Don't care, I'm never going to college."

Annabeth folds her arms stubbornly. "Yes, you most definitely are. It won't kill you, in fact, it'll probably even be _good_ for you, and besides, I refuse to be the only one to work-"

She cuts herself off, her eyes practically bugging out of her head. Percy stares at her for a moment, processing what she had just said. The wheels of his mind turn slowly, he can't help it. She could have just been saying that, because they're best friends, of course they're going to know each other forever, but her grey orbs are way too wide to be innocent.

"Did you just-"

"Shut up."

"Insinuate that-"

"Don't say it!"

"We'd be married one day?"

She makes a little whining sound in the back of her throat, and her face is exasperated and humiliated. And, maybe just the slightest bit... worried. What- does she think he won't want to be friends with her for implying she can see the two of them having a future together? Does she really think he's that crazy?

"Percy..." she says in a warning tone after he doesn't say anything for a while. His eyes dart towards the door and so do Annabeth's.

"Mom!" Percy leaps off the bed with a maniacal smirk on his face, Annabeth on his heels, her eyes murderous. "Mom! Annabeth proposed to me! Mom!"

"I did not! Get back here you little twat- I was just trying to make a point!"

"Still not going to college," he calls over his shoulder as she chases (hey, chases- Chase? Get it? No? Yeah, okay...) him through the apartment.

"Percy!"

"Mom!"

* * *

It's a year later and Annabeth is the first one he calls, shouting into the phone, "I did it! I got in!" with his girlfriend beaming on the other end because she had always known he could, and that he would.

* * *

 **3.** _I'm never getting married._

* * *

Percy slams the door of his apartment closed, wiping angrily at the tears threatening to overflow. He is a _man_ , he does _not_ cry, especially because of a stupid fight with his girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. Whatever. Okay, so it hadn't been just a stupid fight. He doesn't even really remember what it had been about, just that it had escalated to one, giant screaming match and ended in them both shouting their break up. He doesn't want to break up with Annabeth, he loves her, but... he's so _angry_ he can't even begin to feel remorse.

Stupid. So stupid. He feels like screaming and settles for reaching for a dirty glass residing on the counter and hurling it at the opposite wall, listening to it shatter into a thousand pieces all over the hardwood floor. He folds his arms behind his head, taking deep, shaky breaths and pacing the hallway. It was _her_ fault, he's sure. They always bicker and have fights, but it's never been this bad. She had shrieked something about being tired of always fighting and he couldn't agree more. Some immature, childish part of him is mightily satisfied that he'd had the last word and had been the one to slam the door shut after him. He wonders if she's just as upset as him, curled up on the floor of her apartment where he had left her with tears leaking out of her eyes and- oh, he's crying. Dammit.

"Whatever," he grumbles, moving his position to grip the edges of the counter with as much force as he can muster. Who is he kidding? Annabeth is probably burying herself under a mountain of work, her eyes apathetically glued to her stupid computer screen. She doesn't handle emotions very well, always falling back to work rather than facing them. Whatever, it's not his problem. He doesn't care, he convinces himself. _Whatever, whatever, whatever._

He sucks in an angry breath, grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge and pops it open with his teeth as he leaves the kitchen, minding the glass littering everywhere as he storms to the couch. He carelessly flops himself down, flipping on the television. His mind is still consumed with rage- it's easier than giving in to the tears still falling from his eyes.

There's a freaking Jared's commercial on the screen, most likely advertising engagement rings. Percy laughs humorlessly, not bothering to pay attention enough to find out. He rolls his eyes, taking a prolonged sip of the alcohol. It's not enough to burn his throat like whiskey or vodka, but it's enough to slow his racing mind down and besides, he's never been much of a drinker.

The commercial ends with the background showing a bride and groom laughing as they race out of a white chapel. He scoffs, because if this is what a relationship is, there is no way he is _ever_ going through that. He smiles, downing another swig of beer and thinks, _nope, I'm_ never _getting married, not ever._

* * *

Because of her obsession with Greek architecture, he decides to follow the ancient tradition and throws an apple at her. She catches it reflexively, but quickly comes to realization soon after, her grey eyes wide as she stares in bewilderment at his smirking face.

"Percy...?"

"Oh, you want the ring, too?"

* * *

 **4.** _We're never having kids._

* * *

Annabeth flops down face-first next to Percy's place on the couch, groaning. "I think that's the seventh time this _night_."

"I know," he agrees, his voice scratchy. They'd foolishly agreed to babysit their close friend's, Jason and Piper's, five-month old son while they went on a much-needed date night. However; "Go have fun," they said, "We'll be fine", they said... They agree he's adorable, but Leonard Grace is a _nightmare._ He had loathed bath time, screaming his head off whenever Percy so much as walked towards the water ("Oh, he loves his baths"), he had gotten more food _on_ Annabeth than in his stomach ("His favorite's the peach one"), and he had refused to allow Percy and Annabeth to close their eyes, forcing them to alternate turns of walking into the nursery and attempting to rock him back to sleep ("And he sleeps through the night really well"). (Gods of Olympus, does Piper even _know_ her son?) Surprisingly, Percy's better at it than Annabeth is, a fact he had teased her earlier in the day but now curses as it means he has to get up more often because of his temporary successes.

Annabeth drags herself to curl up against Percy's chest, draping her arm around his midriff and breathing in his scent. His nose is filled with her own scent of lemons, and he mumbles against her hair, "Why did we agree to this again?"

"Because Piper and Jason used to be one of our closest friends and they deserve to have some time alone together before we chain them in their basement," she responds without missing a beat. Percy can't help but laugh.

"Why can't we bury them in the backyard?" he whines.

"I don't want to raise Leo," she scoffs.

"Don't we already?"

"Gods, one of them is enough," Annabeth groans, subconsciously snuggling deeper into him. He shuts his eyes and breathes wearily into her hair, wrapping his arms around her.

The first Leo, and Piper and Jason's son's namesake, is another of their closest friends. He was Piper's best friend growing up, and when she started going out with Jason in college the two of them had become extremely close. And then Percy and Frank had come in and the Four Amigos had been born. (The Four Idiots, Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel- Frank's girlfriend- call them behind their backs, and okay, maybe to their faces, too.) They're all super close, but Percy is seriously wishing he'd allowed Hazel and Frank to offer to babysit instead of jumping in immediately to say they could. This had been the first time the couple had been comfortable leaving the baby alone with someone else- it had actually been Jason to remain adamant on being there for _E. V. E. R. Y. T. H. I. N. G._ that occurred in the foremost chapters of their first baby's life; Piper had been all for leaving him with one of their friends within the first few weeks. Leo is not to be trusted alone in general, so he had been automatically out. Nico's currently on a date with some blonde guy and besides, he wouldn't exactly be Percy's first choice to watch a child, either, and Reyna isn't even in the country. Frank and Hazel would have been the next best choice, but Percy had been quick to offer their own services, and after convincing Annabeth, they had been gung-ho. Now, though, it's only been nine hours and he's seriously regretting his decision.

"Our friends are pretty crazy..." he chuckles.

"Mm hmm," she agrees, half asleep. He leans down to kiss her head lovingly, his eyelids drooping down with sleep. It's actually quiet, believe it or not, and it's a nice difference in the noise level. It's what they've been waiting for all night. Percy's mouth forms a contented smile, leaning back and sinking into the couch. Well, they've been up for a while, but maybe, just maybe, this could be worth it…

From the room over, there's a soft, muffled noise before the screaming begins once more. Annabeth curses but elbows Percy because it's his turn.

"That's it, we're never having kids," Percy announces as he rubs at his eyes, stretching his arms above his head and stumbling off.

"Definitely not," Annabeth agrees.

* * *

Not two years later, Percy is screaming louder than Annabeth because she breaks his hand somewhere between the moment the contractions begin and finally pushing their daughter out into the world.

* * *

 **5.** _We're never moving out of the city._

* * *

New York is such a lovely place, Percy honestly loves it so much. His daughter is one year old now, and they're a slightly dysfunctional family but isn't everyone to some degree? He's able to see his best friends at least once a week, organizing constant playdates with Zoe and Leo, and they always have Sunday dinner with Sally and Paul. It's so perfect and he can't imagine life anywhere else.

Annabeth comes up and hugs him from behind. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Just how much I love life right now," he responds, sighing contentedly.

"Well, aren't we in the sentimental mood, now?" he feels her smile and he takes another sip of coffee.

"But I mean, we have everything, right? I really love it here. The view, the lifestyle, the friends, the family," he goes on and Annabeth laughs.

They have a larger apartment with three bedrooms, one for them, one for Zoe, and one as a guest bedroom. It overlooks the city, and at night, it's as if the stars light up New York just for them. Percy likes to wind down to it, with Annabeth holding their daughter on the couch, while reading over some paperwork. It's very homey and comfortable.

The busy city life is something he can't imagine living without. He's always grown up with it and he loves the rush that comes with it. He can't wait until Zoe's old enough to grow up here.

And to boot, their friends are practically right around the block. So it's more like several blocks in several different directions, but it's still very close. Hazel and Frank finally tied the knot last year and they live the closest, about a five minute's walk from their apartment. Jason and Piper are a bit farther, Leo's always moving around, and Nico moved in with Will a few months back. They had been sad to learn that Reyna was permanently moving to Rome, but that had been last year and they still keep in touch every now and then. She's been planning a visit to meet the young Jackson and they're super excited.

Of course, there's Annabeth, too, whose blonde hair and grey eyes just shout 'home' to him, and whose beauty has definitely not faded with time. She's one of the best architects in the city and he can't say he's surprised. His daughter is the perfect combination of the two, with her mother's blonde hair and his own green eyes. He swears she has his nose, but Annabeth always says he's being silly. He wonders if they were to have a second child, if they would have Annabeth's eyes and Percy's hair. But he loves the offspring they have and she shares his world with her mother.

"Yeah, we have everything." Annabeth moves to pour herself a cup of coffee and breathes in the scent. She likes it black, opposed to Percy's habit of dumping cream and sugar into it. He has a bit of a Starbucks addiction but it gives Annabeth a good gift for any anniversary.

"I love you," he says, just for the heck of saying it. He expects her to say it back, and though she doesn't actually say the words, 'I love you, too', she says it in the way she takes a tentative sip of the dark liquid, raising her eyebrows in question. He laughs, leaning over the counter to kiss her on the nose. She rolls her eyes.

"Love you, too, you big goofball."

"I know. Where's Zoe?"

"Asleep. She's getting your habit, you know," Annabeth warns.

"Getting the fullest amount of sleep possible is not a bad habit, Wise Girl," he reminds her.

"It'll be later on in life."

"Let her live- er, sleep."

"Seaweed Brain," she mutters under her breath, but there's a smile tugging at her lips. He kisses it out.

"I love it here, too, you know," Annabeth takes another sip. He contemplates stealing some of hers since his cup is now empty, but then disregards the thought as he doesn't want to get a mouthful of _black_ coffee. Instead, he pours himself another cup and retrieves the cream and sugar.

"We're never moving out of the city," he says, pulling her into his side.

"I'm good with that," she says. The two of them sip their coffee while their daughter sleeps in the next room, staring out their window at the waking city. It's still dark enough for the lights to look like stars.

* * *

The city lights are nothing compared to the actual stars decorating the windows of their new house.

* * *

 **6.** _I'm never driving a minivan._

* * *

"Annabeth!" Percy comes walking in the door to his daughter. Zoe blinks up at him, giving him a hard stare. She sleeps through the night better now, but she still gives them a few restless nights every now and then. She's been starting to talk a lot more now, and she babbles a lot.

"Zoe, where's Mommy?" he asks, bending down so he can talk eye-level. Her wavy blonde hair is pulled back in two pigtails and her green eyes are a perfect reflection of his own. His heart can't help but swell with pride when he looks into them, almost making him forget the reason he had previously been so flustered not two seconds ago.

"I think Mommy's in the kitchen," she responds in a high-pitched voice that's far too loud than what's really necessary. It's alarmingly adorable.

"Thanks sweetie," he pecks her on the forehead, his heart giving a small pang because that's what _his_ mom used to call him. Sure, he still sees her every now and then, but it's not the same as being fifteen minutes away. He doesn't regret moving, not at all, the suburbs are the perfect place to grow up, so much safer than the city, and he doesn't understand why he ever wanted to remain there with his family, but he still misses being so close to everything.

Also, he's nervous because Zoe had said that Mommy's in the kitchen… Percy generally handles the meals for a reason. Annabeth is scarily good at an endless amount of things, but cooking is not on that list.

"Annabeth?" he calls. He almost breathes a sigh of relief when she pops her head up from the fridge with Zoe's sippy cup filled with apple juice in one hand and blue food coloring in the other. He beams at the dye- he's taught his daughter well- but now is not the time to pat himself on the back.

"What is it?" she asks calmly.

"Jason's getting a minivan."

"And this is a big deal why?"

"What? I mean, well- it's just… I'm cooler than Jason, right?" Percy blurts out, running a hand through his hair.

Annabeth raises her one eyebrow and folds her arms. Is this is a serious question? "I don't know how to respond to that."

"I've always kinda assumed I was, no offense to Jason or anything, but he's a total dork, you have to admit that, right?"

"Well, so are you, but-"

"And Piper and Jason have another one on the way so they figured they'd need a bigger car and he got a _minivan_ and now he's going to be one of those dads who goes over the top at every single event and drives their kids around in a minivan and grows old with that stupid car because it's convenient for the family and tells bad dad jokes and-"

"Percy, darling, breathe; you know how I feel about run-on sentences," Annabeth laughs at him, ruffling his hair and smiling back at his pouting face. "There's nothing wrong with 'becoming one of those dads'. I'm not asking you to give up your new truck because our daughter, for one that's completely unreasonable. Also, don't you want to be there for any event in general?"

"Of course I do, I just don't want to be one of those over-the-top parents," he huffs.

"Well, there you go. And, I hate to tell you this, but you already tell bad dad jokes."

This doesn't seem to offend him as much as the prospect of becoming a minivan dad.

"Fine, maybe I already am one step away from becoming one of those dads, but I'm never driving a minivan," he walks out of the kitchen to change into something more suiting for lounging around the house, leaving Annabeth with an amused smile on her face. "Never, never, never, you hear me?"

He wags his finger, walking backwards. Percy promptly topples over a stack of papers and goes rushing to catch them all. About half of them are deposited on the floor and he can tell Annabeth's laughing at him. He glares at the papers and maybe a little bit at his wife, returning them to their neat- fine, it isn't anywhere close to neat when he's finished- order and mouthing, 'Ever!' before turning around.

Shaking his head and listening to the echo of Annabeth's laughter filling the hall, he shoves his hands in his pockets, scowling. Percy _refuses_ to become one of those dads who drives around in a gods-forsaken _minivan_.

* * *

At the very least, he thinks, it has this fancy Bluetooth setup with movie screens hooked up in the back seats...

* * *

 **7.** _We're never having another kid._

* * *

Zoe doesn't talk as Percy unbuckles the four-year-old from her car seat. She hops out and Percy directs her to go straight to her room. After she's inside and the car's locked up, he heads in the house, too, reaching for his phone to dial Annabeth.

"Did you get her?" her voice is slightly shaken up from the bad connection. She must be driving, or something.

"Yes. That was a horrific experience."

He hears her sigh. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"Annabeth, you got a call on your cell phone telling you that our daughter had to be picked up from preschool because of 'misconduct'. _Preschool_!"

"Figures you'd be the one to be freaking out about it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demands, flailing his free hand around like she's there in person.

He can hear her chuckle for a second. "Nothing, Percy. So, what'd she do?"

"She punched another kid."

"Names?"

"I don't know! Some boy?"

"What'd she punch him for?"

Percy pauses. "I don't actually know."

"Go find out."

Compliantly, Percy climbs the stairs to Zoe's room and knocks on the door, the phone still pressed to his ear. "Hey Zoe?" he asks.

She looks up from her stuffed horse, her green eyes boring into Percy's. He melts on the inside a little when she looks at him but he tries to swallow it down because he is the _father._ "Why'd you punch that kid at preschool?"

Zoe bites her bottom lip, looking down. She hugs her horse- a black little thing, he actually thinks it used to be his when he was a boy- and says quietly, "He called me a dumb blonde."

There's silence for a moment.

"Annabeth?" Percy asks, his voice sounding muffled and strained. "Did you hear that?"

"No. What'd she say?"

"He called her a dumb blonde. So she punched him."

Another long period of silence passes as Zoe waits for both her parents to yell at her. Instead, she is quite surprised when, simultaneously, they burst out laughing.

Oh, she is definitely Annabeth's daughter, that one, and Percy laughs so hard, his stomach hurts. He thinks he hears his wife on the other end wheezing slightly. He hopes she's pulled over, it would really stink if she gets in a wreck because she's laughing so much. He wipes away a tear from his eye and continues to suppress snickers as he departs from Zoe's door frame, leaving a very confused little girl behind.

"I can't believe it," Percy shakes his head, a wide smile still stretched across his face.

"She's my daughter, alright," Annabeth replies, a Cheshire Cat grin in her voice. Percy's smile grows wider because, hey, even after all these years they still share the same thoughts.

"Gods, Annabeth, that was the most embarrassing moment of my _life_."

"Surely it wasn't that bad," she pipes in.

"No, it was pretty bad," he laughs. "The teacher- or, person in charge or whatever, was just staring at me with these eyes and it reminded me of my sixth grade pre-algebra teacher, Mrs. Dodds. I hated Mrs. Dodds. Let's not send her back to that preschool. I think she got kicked out, anyways."

"Sounds awfully traumatic. Percy, you know you'll have to go through these things again sometime, at least, right? Zoe's bound to get in more trouble than this one thing," Annabeth reminds him.

He groans, depositing himself on the couch and slinging an arm over his eyes. "Don't remind me. Annabeth, that was the most embarrassing moment of my life," he repeats, "we're never having another kid, okay?"

"Percy?"

"What?"

"I'm pregnant."

"Of course you are."

* * *

Their son has Percy's hair and Annabeth's eyes.

* * *

 **8.** _I'm never letting you go._

* * *

Percy assumes he's more into the movie than the rest of them are, seeing as they're all asleep. They had all just gotten back from a Thanksgiving meal with his mother, and it had been rather nice. Once they had returned home they had put in a movie and had remained in this position ever since. He and Annabeth are in their mid-thirties, and it's weird to be watching their kids grow up so fast. Zoe's seven now, and Charlie's three. Well, they might be getting older, but they're young enough to appreciate a good Disney movie- well, had been. Now they're all asleep.

Annabeth leans her head on his shoulder, her legs tucked up beneath her with Charlie asleep against her chest, the both of them breathing in sync. Zoe's laying with her head on Percy's lap and his hand rests on her back. He wouldn't mind some sort of pet at his feet. He never had anything growing up and he thinks it'd be a good experience. He should look into getting a dog or something.

For now, though, he just watches the movie, absorbed in the blue world of Finding Nemo.

It's been a crazy life. Becoming friends with Annabeth Chase, growing up to marry the girl he'd had a crush on since the very first day they'd met and starting a rather amazing family with her, if he did say so himself. Zoe's friends are numerous and she's a smart kid, just like her mom. However, while Zoe is smart, Charlie is already showing great intelligence. They're thinking of starting him early in kindergarten, and Percy would worry about the statistical effects of starting a child in school early, but his mentality and maturity is practically higher than Percy's, and he's only three- although, he's not quite sure that's saying much…

New York is the place for him, and though he's not in the city, it's okay. He almost likes it better here, if one can believe it.

Their friends are still around quite often. Hazel and Frank are about to leave the country to adopt a baby girl, and Piper and Jason are a proud family of three with Leo and the twins. The other Leo, the Spanish elf-like one, managed to reel in a pretty girlfriend named Calypso, and Zoe had taken a liking to her. Charlie would give a rare smile for Nico of all people, and he and his fiancé, Will, often stopped by to visit whenever they left the city. It's a good life Percy lives.

He remembers a time when he believed that love was a silly notion, one that was not meant to last because it only ended in sorrow and pain. His mother had deserved the world, and instead, his father had broken it. Then, Gabe Ugliano had taken it and put it back together only to crush it beneath his foot when he was done. However, he supposes he should have known he would be proven wrong- she eventually found her happy ending with Paul Blofis, and she's still living her happily ever after. Percy's lucky because his first will always be his last. He didn't have to get his heart shattered by some girl who would play him and dump him, he has his Wise Girl and that's all that really needs to be said about that.

Percy can't believe that at one point he had never wanted to marry her. There's a picture in the hall of them together on their wedding day, Annabeth in her white gown and Percy in his tux. They both have blue wedding cake smeared across their faces and Annabeth's laughing as she shoves a handful into Percy's open mouth. It's perfectly chaotic, and sweet, and just overall perfect in general. It's his favorite, and his mother had it framed, gifting it to them on their… fifth(?) anniversary. He can't recall exactly, but it had been one of their favorite presents of all time.

Annabeth sleeps soundly on his shoulder. She doesn't drool when she sleeps, he notes, so he can't tease her for it. Of course she's perfect, she doesn't make funny faces or thrash around in her sleep causing them to lose the blanket in the middle of the night, but he knows she's not flawless and that's what really makes her perfect. Down to the ruffled, blonde, lemon-scented curls to the sun-kissed freckles splashed across her nose, she's his home.

Sometime around halfway through the movie, he stops paying so much attention to Nemo and just watches the blue lights of the screen flicker across their faces. The relaxed state feels so natural and he hopes he'll always be able to look back on this and smile.

"I am never letting you go," he whispers, kissing Annabeth's head and holding his family as close as he possibly can.

* * *

Zoe and Charlie have long since moved out of the house, having grown up with families of their own. They call his name from outside the room and he tears his gaze away from the hospital bed where his children are waiting for him. He doesn't want to let go of her hand, but she won't be in pain anymore, and it's time to let go now.

* * *

 **I was not prepared for it to end that way. Huh.**


End file.
